-=> Richard Smith said this to Ray Ledford <=-
 RL> closed it up before spring, but my wife and I were too
 RL> excited over her pregnancy, and then after we lost the
 RL> baby last month, too upset to really care about a lot
 RL> of things.
 RS> Understood.  My condolences.
Thanks.
 
 RL> I'm not going to kill a creature unless it's necessary.  My
 RL> cats usually think it's necessary, but after all, they're
 RL> cats.  It's what they do -- besides sleep all day.
 RS> It IS part of their stock in trade . . .
You know, I love to watch animals, but cats are really interesting
creatures.  No other animal, IMO, can sleep with the same gusto as a
cat, no other animal can seem as serious and intent when hunting as
a cat, and no other animal can turn around and amuse itself as well
as a cat.
I was watching one of our cats walking through a field a couple of
weeks ago when I saw a groundhog just a few feet away.  The
groundhog kept looking at Weasel (the cat), and the cat kept taking
a few steps toward the house, stopping and turning toward the
groundhog.  He eventually made it back to the house without going
after the groundhog.  I think he's finally learned the difference
between lunch and something best left alone.
 RS> And, from what I see here, will continue to experience
 RS> it.
 RL> Yep.  I'm afraid so.
 RS> Habits are hard to break.  Besides, you at least listen to
 RS> him.  Not everyone does.
No one should, really.  If he wanted to talk about the issues
without being insulting, then talking to him would be fine.  But
that's not what he does.  I don't know if you read the exchanges
between Charles and Jim, but he told Jim that he posted the "Twain"
piece because he was trying to make a point about people trying to
be something their not.  My question is, why didn't he just come out
and say that instead of posting such an inflammatory message?
 RL> I don't.  It's rather ridiculous for white people to claim
 RL> such a thing.  Even though I'm a descendent of Cherokees,
 RL> I'm also a descendent of Europeans, too.  I wasn't raised
 RL> within Cherokee culture, so I'm not going to claim to be
 RL> Cherokee.
 RS> I'm hesitant to even share the lineage I know, if for no
 RS> other reason than I think there's a real dividing line
 RS> between how those who are full-blooded, and those who
 RS> aren't, react to it.  I've some negative experiences with
 RS> some who said they were full blooded, and I expect that
 RS> there are some here who are full blooded as well.  I'm just
 RS> trying to not set myself up for slams or anything.  
I understand.  Native Americans who have always lived within their
respective cultures and who have experienced harships and bigotry
are sometimes less than cordial with Native American descendants who
have always lived outside of the culture.  That's understandable.
Reservation communities are very different than what's on the
outside.  And what has the outside ever done for the Native
American?  Very little.  Most of what the outside has done they have
done TO the Native American.  In the past, white America stole the
land from The People; today, the New Agers are trying to steal the
culture.  
On the other hand, there are those whose recent ancestors were
Native American, but have always lived on the outside.  Have they
been cheated?  Should they be treated as if they are invaders?
Well, I need to go, but if it's okay with you I'd like to continue
the train of thought above.
Oh, one other thing -- the birds have left!  I think I'll wait until
fall to close up the hole, but that's one family with a success
story -- all the little birdies left the nest.  Or, in this case,
the hole in the wall. :-)
None Of The Above
iam4nota@juno.com
... Boycott the tabloids.
... Why do you take by force what you could obtain by love? --Powhatan
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
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